Danroy Henry: 5 things to know

Danroy Henry Jr., a Pace University student and football player, was shot and killed by police outside Finnegan's Grill in Thornwood in 2010. His family has now reached a $6 million in the case.(Photo11: Journal News file photo)Buy Photo

Danroy Henry, known to family and friends as “D.J.,” was shot and killed by a police officer in 2010. His family has just reached a settlement with Mount Pleasant for an undisclosed sum.

"We can never bring DJ back, and his family must bear the agony of his loss," Michael Sussman, the attorney for the family, said Tuesday. "But we can take lessons from this event which makes its repetition less likely."

Here are five things to know about Danroy Henry’s death and what came after.

1. Henry was shot through the windshield of his car

Henry, from Easton Mass., was a student at Pace University when he was killed. He was leaving Finnegan's Grill, a popular student nightspot, when police from both Mount Pleasant and Pleasantville were called to respond to what was described as a rowdy crowd.

Officials said Pleasantville Police Officer Aaron Hess was hit by Henry’s car before he fired through the windshield of the car, killing the driver and wounding a passenger. No criminal charges were filed against Hess.

2. A second officer also fired

Hess fired his weapon into the windshield of Henry’s car but, meanwhile, a second officer, Mount Pleasant’s Ronald Beckley, started firing his weapon as well.

Beckley later said he was shooting at Hess, who he believed to be an aggressor in the situation. Beckley, a 32-year veteran, retired seven weeks after the shooting.

3. Henry may have been refused medical care

Henry’s family claimed that after he was shot, the college junior was pulled from the car and handcuffed while he bled out on the road.

According to the the family, Henry died after being left on the ground bleeding. Sussman said Henry was denied medical aid and that officers didn't even ask if he was injured.

Hess, who allegedly suffered serious leg injuries, was granted an accidental disability pension of $69,934. He later left the police force.

Beckley was awarded a performance of duty disability pension of $66,772, though he was denied an additional disability payment of just under $100,000 a year based on a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.

The state Comptroller's Office ruled that the incident did not meet the standard for an accident, which requires "a sudden, fortuitous mischance, unexpected, out of the ordinary, and injurious in impact."

5. There are still lawsuits pending

A grand jury refused to indict Hess and the Henry family’s two civil suits — one against Mount Pleasant and one against Pleasantville — have both been settled, but there are still cases being heard on the matter.

There are still open federal cases filed by both Brandon Cox, who was injured in Henry’s car, and another passenger, Desmond Hines.

In addition, seven Pace students who were at the scene have alleged that officers used excessive force filed federal lawsuits.